“I have a lot of personal thoughts that really are personal to me,” Brady said. “Peyton, I would consider him a good friend. You hate to see your good friends go through anything like that.

“I fully support Peyton. My friendship with him over the years, he’s a guy that I can always count on, and has been someone that’s always been so supportive of me. We’ll have lifelong friendships. … Truthfully, I don’t put much into anything [regarding the allegations]. I have a lot of friends, I have a lot of support, and he is the same. I’m a big fan and supporter of his. That’s how I really feel about everything.”

Ironically, Brady’s bitter feud with commissioner Roger Goodell could spur the NFL to launch an investigation of Manning: How could the league, in good conscience, spend millions trying to convict Brady of ball tampering, then shrug when another marquee QB is accused of taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs?

“He’s been a great player for this league, for his teams, for his organizations. He’s been one of the best players to ever play the game,” Brady said. “Nobody has more respect for Peyton than I do, and everything that he’s accomplished. There’s always challenging times, but he’s a tough guy. I know that. He’s a very mentally and physically tough guy. … He’s a big boy. He knows how to handle these things.”